It’s not very common when a film series gets better with age. Mission: Impossible is such a film series. This fifth installment titled Rogue Nation was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The plot centers around a shadow group of highly skilled special agents from various countries called the Syndicate, whose sole purpose is to create world chaos by disrupting global politics through a series of terror attacks. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) believes they’re real but the CIA (led by Alec Baldwin) does not. With the IMF now disbanded, Ethan, who is on the run from the CIA goes rogue in order to find out who’s behind this and put a stop to them before a potential war breaks out. Warning spoilers ahead…
The leader of the Syndicate is master assassin, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), whose back-story isn’t fleshed out very well in the script so we don’t get to know what motives him to do what he does. Nonetheless, Solomon is that creepy, silent but deadly type of villain who is detached of emotion and those are the worse kind of bad guys. He reminds me a lot of the Horn-Rimmed Glasses character from theHeroes television series. In order to stop Solomon, Ethan enlists the help from his former IMF team that comprises of the usual suspects of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and film series original, Luthor Stickell (Ving Rhames). Joining them in this adventure is the mysterious and beautiful femme fatale, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British special agent whose agenda and allegiance comes into question, as she appears to be playing both sides. It is Rebecca Ferguson who turns out to be the films biggest treat. She owns every scene she appears in. The chemistry between her and Cruise is nothing less than perfect. Not only is she very much his equal, there are times, she is superior.
One of my favorite scenes takes place backstage at the Vienna Opera House. It reminded me to some extent the climax of the film Foul Play where an assassination attempt on the Pope was to take place. Here it was an attempt on the Chancellor of Vienna. Ethan must stop what appear to be three potential assassins from carrying out their orders. The sequence of events was so well constructed and executed by McQuarrie that you could hear a pin drop in the theater as everyone sat at the edge of their seats waiting with anticipation what will happen next. Unfortunately for Ethan his save of the Chancellor is short-lived by a planted car bomb by Solomon Lane. The Syndicate is very much real.
I love the action scenes in Rogue Nation. Whether it was the hand to hand combat at the Opera House or the underwater sequence where Ethan must swap out security cards in order for Dunn to break in and steal valuable Intel or a high-octane motorcycle chase that rivals any car chase of any film ever made, these scenes would make Bond himself envious. That’s how good they were.
I mentioned James Bond because the Mission: Impossible films have always reminded me of those films. Sure the plots can be complex and sometimes hard to explain in detail but their bread and butter will always be the great use of exotic locations and the over the top stunts for its action sequences. Also like 007, you’re invested in Ethan Hunt. You root for him; you feel his pain and celebrate in his success. I’m sure as I write this; a sixth installment is in the works. But dare I say, I wouldn’t object to a spinoff film featuring Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust as the lead. Yes, she was that good and so was Rogue Nation.
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris and Ving Rhames.
PG-13 131 Mins
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation – **** (out of 5 stars)
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
